Thimble-clamp



E. P. STEVENS.

THIMBLE CLAMP. APPLICATION mm 050. 4, 191a.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Du 0 T N E V W E. P. STEVENS.

THIMBLE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1918.

1,358,392, Patnted'Nov. 16,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 10

INVENTOR celvem i BY Em ATTORNEY E. P.'STEVENS. THIMBLE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1918.

1,358,892, Patented Nov. 16,1

3 SHEETS-SHEET lll "IIIII lNVENTOR a k ck Q 8%(111/1150 BY w ATTORNEY I a? 4r %9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERICK P. STEVENS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEVJ JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO AUGUST B. ANDERSSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THIMBLE-CLAMP.

Application filed. December 4, 1918.

T cell whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERICK P. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Thimble-Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a class of devices adapted to be used in conjunction with cables.

My invention has for its object primarily to provide a device or thimble clamp designed to be employedfor facilitating the work of providing loops in wire cables and like lines as well as arranging thimbles in the loops, it being customary when performing this class of work to splice or otherwise secure the free end part of the cable or line to another portion of the-cable according to the size of the loop desired. By the methods at present in use to provide such loops, especially in heavy'cables, it requires the work of a number of persons for a considerable length of time, while with the employment of this device the work may be accomplished by one or two persons within a comparatively short period.

The invention consists essentially of a crosshead, and on the crosshead is r movably mounted one of the corresponding ends of two extensible retainers so as to be movably adjusted in spaced relation toward and from -h other whereby a loop-thimble may be removably held therebetweenJ Associated with the extensible retainers is a locking element to allow the retainers when in adjusted positions to be releasably locked, while on the second ends of the retainers are provided jaws adapted to be adjusted for releasably clampingon the thimble the portions of the cabletorming the end of the loop so that these parts may be spliced or otherwise secured together, and on the crosshead may be provided a manually operable clamp serving to hold. the central portion of the loop in close enwith the thimble.

.3. further object of the invention is to provide a thimble clamp of a simple, cient and durable construction which may be made in various sizes and shapes to permit loops of any desired size to be provided in cables andthe like.

li ith these and other objects in view, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

' of which may be of desired lengths.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Serial No. 265,224.

invention will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and will then be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, Figure 1, an elevation, partly fragmentary, of one form of thimble clamp embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary seetional view, partly in detail, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a reduced, fragmentary sectional view, partly in detail, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, partly fragmentary, taken on the line 4 l of Fig. 3.

The deviceor thimble clamp has a crosshead 10 having a body part 11 which is preferably substantially cubic in shape as well as being of any desired size, and through this body part is a threaded opening 12. Projecting laterally from'one face of the body part 11 of the crosshead is an arm or bar 13. having its portion which is adjacent to the body part formed of a square shape, as at 1 1, while the end portion of the arm is threaded, as at 15. Projecting from the opposite face or the body part 11 of the crosshead, and disposed in an opposite lateral direction to the arm 13, is a second arm or bar 16 having its portion which is adjacent to the body part also square in shape, as at 17, while the end part or this arm is threaded, as at 18. Removably mounted on the arms 18 and 16 of the crosshead 10 are two extensible retainers,

. as 19 and 20, which are adapted to be adjustably moved toward and from each other whereby a thimble, 21, such as is commonly used in loops of cables may be removably held 'therebetween.

The retainers 19 and 20 are of similar formations, and each retainer is composed of two complemental bars, as 22 and 23, bloth he bar 22 of each retainer is substantially rectangular in cross-section, and in one end of each bar is a square opening 24: which is somewhat larger than either of the square portions of the arms 18 and 16 of the crosshead 10. The square portion 1 1 of the arm 13 and the square portion 17 of the arm 16 of the crosshead are disposed through the openings 24 of the bars 22 of the retainers so that these bars are disposed in spaced parallel arrangement rightangularly with respect to the crosshead for being adjustably moved toward and from each other. At corresponding spaced intervals in the other parts of the bars 22 of the retainers are a number of registered openings 25. The bar 23 of each retainer is also substantially rectangular in cross-sectlon, and

both of these bars are of sizes preferably similar to the size of the bars 22. The bars 23 are arranged so that one of their broad faces is in contact with the outer faces of the apertured bars 22 of the retainers so as to be extensively move-d, back and forth with relation to the free ends of the bars 22. Through the bar 23 of each of the retainers is a slot 26 disposed lengthwise of the bar, and this slot of each bar is in register with the openings 25 of theadjacent bar 22 as well as being of a-length somewhat greater than the extreme distances of all of the openings 25 of the cooperating bar 22. The bars 23 of both of the retainers are of lengths to permit of being guided rela tively to the bars 22 whereby the lengths of the retainers may be varied as occasion requires, and the face of each bar 23 which is opposite to its cooperating bar 22 is serrated to provide toothed racks, as 27. The teeth of one of the bars 23 of each retainer may correspond in number, besides being in alinement, with the teeth of the other bar 23, and serving to permit the complemental bars to be releasably fastened when the retainers are arranged in adjusted positions, a locking element 28 is provided.

The locking element 28 is preferably composed of a rod 29 which is removably disposed through one pair of the egistered openings 25 of the bars 22 of the retainers as well as being removably disposed through the slots 26 of the bars 23 of the retainers. The rod 29 is of a length so that both of its ends extend considerable distance beyond the bars 23 so that when the complemental bars of both retainers are guided some distance from each other this rod will not be separated from the retainers, and both ends of the rod 29 are threaded, as at 30 and 31.

On these threaded ends of the rod 29 are nuts 32 and 33, respectively, for being screwed toward and from the racks 27 of the bars 23 of the retainers. On the rod 29 between the nut 32 and the rack 27 of the bar 23 of the retainer 19 is a pawl 34, while on the rod 29 between the nut 33 and the rack 27 of the bar 23 of the retainer 20 is a pawl 35, and both of the pawls are adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the toothed racks. The pawls and 35 may be of suitable types, though each pawl is preferably formed of a flat sub- .straight edge of the plate 36 of each pawl is a tooth 38. The teeth of both of the pawls are adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the respective toothed racks opposed thereto for releasably looking the bars 22 and 23 against accidental movement when in adjusted positions, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. On the end of the bar 23 projecting below the bar 22 of the retainer 19 is a sleeve or eye 39 having in its opening a movable bolt, as 40, and on the end of the bar extending below the bar 22 of the retainer 20 is a similar sleeve or eye 41 having in its opening a movable bolt 42; The bolts 40 and 42 are disposed transversely with relation to the crosshead 10, and both of these bolts are of lengths so that their ends extend considerable distances beyond the sleeves of the bars 23 of the extensible retainers 19 and 20. On one of thecorresponding ends of the bolts may be a fixed head 43, while the other ends of the bolts are threaded, as at 44, and on the threaded end of each bolt is screwed a nut 45. On the bolts 40 and 42 between the nuts 45 and the sleeves 39 and 40 of the bars 23 of the retainers is a movable j aw 46, while on the bolts between the heads 43 and the sleeves of the bars 23 is a movable jaw 47, and both these jaws serve when adjusted accordingly to releasably clamp the parts of a cable, as 48, on the thimble 21 when it is desired to form a loop, as 49, in the cable around the thimble.

Both of the jaws 46 and 47 may be of suitable types, though the jaws are preferably in the forms of bars of lengths so that their 105 ends extend some distances beyond the bolts 40 and 42. The belt 40 is slidably movable in registered slots 50 and 51 arranged lengthwise at one of the corresponding ends of the clamping jaws or bars, and the bolt 110 42 is slidably movable in two other registered slots 52 and 53 provided lengthwise at the second corresponding end of the clamping jaws or bars. Thus these jaws or bars may be moved on the bolts 40 and 42 toward 115 and from each other as well as toward and from the sleeves 39 and 41 of the bars 23 of the retainers 19 and 20, and by this arrangement the bolts 40 and 42 may also be adj ustably moved in the slots of the jaws toward 120 and from each other. The jaws 46 and 47 are preferably square in cross-section, and in the edge'of the jaw 46 in direct opposition to the thimble 21 is a substantially semi-cire cular concaved recess disposed on an 125 incline to receive part of the cable 48, while in the edge of the jaw 47 also in direct opposition to the thimble is a similar semicircular eoncaved recess 55 disposed on an incline.

The forms of thimbles commonly used in the loops of cables are made with aperipheral groove, as 56, as Well as having a central opening, as 57, and the thimble employed with each given cable is of a size according to the size of the loop desired, besides having a groove which will permit the cable to be arrangedand seated therein. In practice the thimble is arranged on the rod 29 between the retainers 19, 20 and also between the crosshead 10 and the clamping jaws 46, 47 following the removal ofthe rod 29 from the pair of slots 20 and one of the pairs of the openings 25 of the bars 22 and 23 of the retainers, this removal of the rod being permitted by first unscrewing one of the nuts 32 or 33 from the rod, besides removing from the rod one of the pawls .34 and As this class of thimble is usually somewhat pear-shaped, as shown, the thinlble is arranged so that its apex will be disposed between the concavities 54, 55 of the clamping jaws 46, 47 as well as being disposed between the sleeves 39 and 41 of the bars 23 of the retainers 19 and 20. The toothed bars 23 of the retainers are then extensibly or contractibly adjusted to move the rods 49 and 42 whereby the jaws will be releasably held in engagement with the apex of the thimble, and the rod 29 is redisposed in the slots of the bars .23 ofthe retainer and in the proper openings 25 of the bars 22 of the retainers so that the rod will be disposed through the opening 57 of the thimble, as shown. The toothed pawl together with the nut which were removed from the rod 29 are then refittedon the rod, and by screwing the nuts 32 and 33 accordingly on the rod 29 the pawls 34 and 35 will be forced into engagement with the racks 27 of the bars 23 of the retainers 19 and'20, and in turn the thimble will be held against lateral movement. with this adjustment of the retainers the apertured ends 24 of the bars 22 of the retainers will be disposed accordingly on the square portions 14 and 17 of the arms 13 and 16 of the crosshead 10, and the remaining parts of these square portions of the arms may be occupied by applying thereon a suitable number of spacers or plates, as 59, so that nuts, as and 61, may be screwed on the threaded ends 15 and 18 of the arms for tightly clamping the spacers together with the bars 22 of the retainers 19 and 20 between the nuts and the body part 11 of the as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The loop 49 will thereby be formed as well as being disposed in the groove of the thimble, and to hold the central part of the loop closely in the groove, I may provide a clamp, as 62.

The clamp 62 preferably consists of a threaded rod 63 which is screwed in the threaded opening 12 of the body 11 of the crosshead 10 of the device so as to be moved toward and from the loop of the cable. The rod 63 is of a length so that one of its ends protrude some distance above the body of the crosshead 10, and this upperend of the rod may terminate with a loop, as 64, for serving as a handle to allow the rod to be manually rotated. Protruding toward the thimble from the lower end of the rod is a cylindrical shaped lug, as 65, having a threaded recess in its free end, and on this lug is revolubly held a block, as 66. The block 66 may be substantially square, and the underside of this block is ooncaved, as at 67, in opposed relation to the loop of the cable for partially or entirely conforming with the transverse curvature of the cable. In the center of the concaved underside of the block 66 may be recess 68 which communicates with the opening, as 69, provided through the block and in which lug of the rod 63 is disposed. In the recess 68 of the block '66 is a screw '70 which is screwed into the threaded recess of the lug 65 of the rod 63. By rotating the handle or loop 64 accordingly the rod 63 and lug 65 will also be rotated to force the block 66 of the clamp into engagement with the central part of the loop of the cable, and this manner of using the clamp 62 in coopera tion with the jaws 46 and 47 will cause the loop of the cable to be held against all pos sible accidental movement on the thimble, in order to allow the contacting parts of the cable to be spliced or otherwise secured together, as at '71. Thus a simple, efiicient and durable clamp is provided for facilitating the work of providing loops in wire cables as well as to allow thimbles to be arranged in the loops, and which is of an adjustable form so that thimbles of various sizes may be arranged in cable loops.

In the foregoing description, I have em bodied the preferred form of my invention, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, therefore, I reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two retainers mounted on the crosshead so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble therebetween, a locking element associated with the retainers for releasably clamping the thimble between the retainers, and a pair of spaced jaws on the retainers, said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held'in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop.

2. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two extensibly adjustable retainers mounted on the crosshead so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodatin the thimble therebetween, a locking element associated with the retainers for releasably holding the retainers in adjusted positions as well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the retainers, and a pair of spaced jaws on the retainers, said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop.

3. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two retainers mounted on the crosshead so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble therebetween, a locking element associated with the retainers for releasably clamping the thimble between the retainers, a pair of spaced jaws on the retainers, said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop, and a clamp on the crosshead, manually operable so that the central portion of the loop of the cable may be held in close engagement with the thimble while the cable is being spliced.

a. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two extensibly adjustable retainers mounted on the crosshead so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble therebetween, a locking element associated with the retainers for releasably holding the retainers in adjusted positions as well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the retainers, a pair of spaced jaws on the retainers, said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop, and a clamp on the crossheachmanually operable so that the central portion of the loop of the cable may be held in close engagement with the thimble while the cable is being spliced.

5. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a

crosshead, two bars mounted on the cross-' head so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble therebetween, two other bars one slidable on each of the first named bars so that each pair of the bars may be extensibly adjusted, a locking element associated with the bars for releasably holding the retainers in adjusted positions as well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the retainers, and a pair of spaced jaws on the second named pair of bars, said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble be sides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop.

6. In a thinible clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two bars mounted on the crosshead so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble therebetween, two other bars one slidable on each of the'tirst named bars so that each pair of the bars may be eXt-ensibly adjusted, a locking element associated with the bars for releasably holding the bars in adjusted positions as Well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the bars, a pair of spaced jaws, on the second named pair of bars, and said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts or" a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop, and a clamp on the crosshead, manually operable so that the central portion of the loop of the cable may be held in close engagement with the thimble while the cable is being spliced.

7. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two bars mounted on thecrosshead so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble therebetween, two serrated bars one slidable on each or" the first named bars so that each pair of the bars mav be eXtensibly adjusted, a pair of pawls one removably engaging the teeth of each of the serrated bars, means for releasably locking the pawls to the serrated bars, and a pair of spaced jaws on the serrated bars, said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a 100 8. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two bars mounted on the crosshead so as to' be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble therebetween, two serrated bars one slidably associated with each of the first named bars so that each pair of the bars may be extensibly adjusted, a pair of pawls one removably engaging the teeth of each of the serrated bars, means for releas- IOU a pair of spaced jaws on the serrated bars,

said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop, and a clamp on the crosshead, manually operable so that the central portion of the loop of the cable may be held in close engagement with the thimble While the cable is being spliced.

9. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, a pair of extensibly adjustable bars having one of their ends movably mounted on the crosshead for removably aocommodating the thimble between the other parts of the bars, a locking element associated with the bars for releasably holding both pairs of the bars in adjusted positions as well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the extensible bars, and a pair of spaced jaws on the second ends of the extensible bars and said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop.

10. In a thimble clamp, in combination, a crosshead, two pairs of extensibly adjustable bars having one of their corresponding ends mounted on the crosshead so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating the thimble between the other parts of the bars, a locking element associated with the bars for releasably holding both pairs of the bars in adjusted positions as well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the extensible bars, a pair of spaced jaws on the second ends of the extensible bars and said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop, and a clamp on the crosshead,

manually operable so that the central portion of the loop of the cable may be held in close engagement with the thimble while the cable is being spliced.

11. In a clamp of the class described, in combination, two extensibly adjustable retainers mounted so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating a thimble therebetween, locking means associated with the retainers for releasably'holding the retainers in adjusted positions as well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the retainers, and a pair of spaced jaws on the retainers, said jaws being relatively adjustable whereby parts of a cablemay be held closely on the thimble besides being held in contact with each other to allow the cable to be spliced for providing a loop.

12. In a clamp of the class described, in combination, two extensibly adjustable retainers mounted so as to be movable toward and from each other for removably accommodating a thimble therebetween, means for releasably holding the retainers when adjusted as well as for releasably clamping the thimble between the retainers, a pair of spaced jaws on the retainers, and said jaws being relatively adjustable so that parts of a cable may be held closely on the thimble as well as holding in contact parts of the cable adjacent to the thimble to allow of being spliced, and means on the crosshead, manually operable so that the central portion of the cable on the thimble may be held in close engagement with the thimble while the cable is being spliced.

This specification signed and witnessed this 3rd day of December, A. D. 1918.

ERICK P. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

A. B. ANDnRssoN, GEORGE F. BENTLEY. 

